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The holiday
season is packed with social events, but if you're an
introvert, surrounding yourself with a group of strangers, or
even acquaintances, is likely a nerve-racking experience. Devora
Zack, author of Networking for People Who Hate
Networking (Berrett-Koehler, 2010) says introverts
can still enjoy holiday parties by understanding and working
with, rather than against, their natural temperament.

"Introverts think to talk and extroverts talk to think," Zack
says. This difference in temperament can explain why extroverts
thrive at holiday parties while introverts try to ignore them.
While introverts energize alone and prefer fewer people and
minimal stimuli, extroverts feed off the energy of a crowd and
thrive off a bustle of activity. Holiday parties are typically
set up to play against introverts' natural character, but Zack
says understanding your strengths can help introverts survive and thrive
at holiday get togethers.

1. Arrive early. You may think arriving late is
a great way to cut down on the time you have to spend feeling
uncomfortable at holiday parties, but Zack says arriving late
sets introverts up for failure. "Think about what introverts
don't like. They don't like a lot of action, a lot of activity
and a lot of people which is exactly what they walk into when
they get to a holiday party late," says Zack. Arriving on time or
even early provides introverts with an environment that they
thrive in. "There are only a few people that get to events
exactly on time and it will be a much more introvert-friendly
experience," says Zack.

2. Stand in line. "A lot of the time introverts
just don't know what to do with themselves," says Zack. Standing
in line for drinks, food or raffle tickets gives you a temporary
purpose. "There's only two people to talk to – the person in
front of you and the person behind you and there's a natural
ending to the conversation – when you get to the front of the
line," says Zack.

3. Plan ahead. Introverts are often great
listeners, but aren't spontaneous conversationalists . Planning
some conversation topics such as a good book you recently read or
a new movie that you would like to see can help you feel more
relaxed and prepared to network. "Rather than saying ‘I'm bad at
small talk', set yourself up for success [by planning ahead],"
says Zack.

4. Ask open-ended questions. Plan some
interesting, open-ended questions that will stimulate
conversation. Rather than asking "what do you do?", try asking
"what's the best part of your job?" Tap into your natural
strengths of being a good listener and come back with insightful
follow up questions.

5. Be the first to sit down. Banquet-style
events with large round tables are often intimidating for
introverts who feel uncomfortable with large groups. Zack
recommends being the first one to sit down. Allowing others to
fill in the table gives a natural opening to a conversation,
rather than trying to join a group that is already established.